Project description DEENESFRITPL A cold solution for growing apples A farmer’s worst nightmare is a cold front that freezes their crops. Unfortunately, present solutions are costly, inefficient and harmful for the environment. A new, natural plant bacteria-based protection would be the most promising. In this context, the EU-funded FreezingBioprotector project will create a microbial-based product for freezing protection for apples in an interdisciplinary approach (molecular biology, bioinformatics, microbiology and plant physiology) focusing on bacterial communities associated with the anthosphere of a wild cold-adapted rosaceous plant (Dryas octopetala). The combination of high-throughput sequencing and rapid throughput screening of bacterial isolates will be applied to evaluate freezing protection possibilities and will enable healthy and effective fruit crops protection on the EU market. Show the project objective Hide the project objective Objective Current methods used by growers to prevent or reduce freezing damage include mainly physical approaches, which haveseveral limitations in terms of cost, efficacy and environmental impact. The use of natural plant beneficial bacteria is apromising approach against freezing damage. With the aim of developing new microbial-based products for freezingprotection of apple, the goal of this project is to taxonomically and functionally characterise the bacterial communitiesassociated with the anthosphere of a wild cold-adapted rosaceous plant (Dryas octopetala) and to assess their freezingprotection abilities on apple. To achieve these goals, we will use the combination of high-throughput sequencing and rapid throughput screening of bacterial isolates with interdisciplinary approaches of molecular biology, bioinformatics, microbiology and plant physiology. In particular, bacterial taxa associated with D. octopetala flowers under freezing stress tolerance will be identified and targeted isolation methods will be used to recover psychrophilic bacteria. Screening of bacterial isolates will be carried out to examine their ice-active traits (ice recrystallization inhibition and ice shaping) and environmental stress tolerance (drought, starving and UV). Efficacy tests of the isolates for their freezing protection abilities on apple will be performed, followed by feasibility checking of industrial production of the best candidates. The scientific outcomes of this project will contribute in the development of a microbial product for freezing protection of fruit crops that will be further developed for the EU market, which agrees with the promotion of sustainable biological methods. FreezingBioprotector will be fundamental to my professional career development by broadening my expertise in microbial ecology and crop protection, as well as transferable skills on teamwork, leadership, analytical thinking and project management that will be essential for my future research career. Fields of science natural sciencesbiological sciencesmicrobiologybacteriologyagricultural sciencesagriculture, forestry, and fisheriesagriculturehorticulturefruit growingnatural sciencesbiological sciencesecologymedical and health sciencesbasic medicinephysiologynatural sciencesbiological sciencesmolecular biology Programme(s) H2020-EU.1.3. - EXCELLENT SCIENCE - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions Main Programme H2020-EU.1.3.2. - Nurturing excellence by means of cross-border and cross-sector mobility Topic(s) MSCA-IF-2020 - Individual Fellowships Call for proposal H2020-MSCA-IF-2020 See other projects for this call Funding Scheme MSCA-IF-EF-ST - Standard EF Coordinator UNIVERSITA DEGLI STUDI DI TRENTO Net EU contribution € 183 473,28 Address Via calepina 14 38122 Trento Italy See on map Region Nord-Est Provincia Autonoma di Trento Trento Activity type Higher or Secondary Education Establishments Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window Participation in EU R&I programmes Opens in new window HORIZON collaboration network Opens in new window Other funding € 0,00
